Bob Travica / Information View of Organization
Information View of Organization:Framework & Research
Bob Travica
Asper School of BusinessNovember 19, 2010
Bob Travica / Information View of Organization
• Rationale for Information View of Organization (IVO)
• Basic terminology
• Research & Management use of IVO
• Conclusion & Future Research
• Questions & Answers
Outline
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• Enhance link between IS theory (IST) and organization theory (OT) for benefit of both (Orlikowski & Barley, 2001)
• OT’s issues: IT invisible and buried in abstract concepts of technology (Clegg et al., 1996; Currie & Galliers, 1999)
- But IT is different from other technologies as it works with cognition rather than physical matter (comp. Woodward, Thompson, Perrow)
• OT’s bridges: Barley, Clegg, Weick*
Rationale – Organization Theory Side
Bob Travica / Information View of Organization
• IST looks at life cycle of IS or information technology (IT): planning – development – management…
• IST’s issues:
– Theorizing IT
– Theorizing information
– Organizational context weak or arbitrary (TAM research vs. Task-Media Fit Theory)*
• IST’s bridges: Markus, Orlikowski, group systems research, new organizational forms research
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Rationale – Information Systems Theory (IST) Side
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Information View of organization (IVO)
IVO
• In IST: Formalize use of known organizational views by linking them to information & IT
• Advance theorizing of information & IT
• In OT: Introduce a new view of organization by focusing known organization views on information & IT
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Infostructure
Infoculture
Infoprocesses
Infopolitics
Homo Informaticus
Groupomatics
IS ManagementInfoeconomics
IS Adoption
IS Design/Development
IS Use
IS Evaluation
Org. Goals & Issues
Individuals
WorkGroups
Org. Processes
Org. Economics
Org.Politics
Org.Culture
Org.Structure
INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY
DATA MEANING KNOWLEDGE WISDOM
IVO Framework
Organization theory(yellow)
Informationsystemstheory(blue & white)
IVO approach(green)
Travica, 2003, 2005
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IVO Basic Terminology: Information
Information: An umbrella term for cognitive agents called:
• data (symbols for human communication in various states of organization)
• knowledge (cognitive structures in human memory)
• wisdom (capability of making right judgments)
• meaning (process & effect of data-knowledge/wisdom interaction) key aspect; information=0 before data are understood
•Information teleology (example): Uncertainty reduction (Shannon & Weaver, 1949; Galbraith, 1973) vs. uncertainty creation, “creative chaos” (Nonaka & Takecuhi, 1995)
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Information Technology (IT): •Artifacts for manipulating data – tool, device, machine; electronic and pre-electronic•Agent in data-knowledge interaction i.e. meaning creation (“Medium is a message”, McLuhan) •Equivoque (incongruence b/w workings of automated information system and user`s mental models; Weick)
• IT teleology: IT as means of control vs. autonomy (Giddens’s duality of structure & action)
IVO Basic Terminology: Information Technology
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• In organizations, data IT & procedural knowledge related via the concept of information system (IS)
• IS as both cognitive and organizational agent
• Organization ontology: Various OT metaphors used, including brain and intelligence
• Organization as the intersection of OT and IST aspects (infoculture, infopolitics…)
Data Data
IT
Know-how
Information System
IVO Basic Terminology: Information System, and Organization
Bob Travica / Information View of Organization
Seven Topical Areas in IVO
Topical Area in IVO
Concept
Homo Informaticus (Individual)
Cognitive aspects of individual organization members; Information behaviours (information seeking, decision making); Individuals as IS designers, users and evaluators
Groupomatics (Groups)
Group cognition aspects (transactive memory, group thinking, group decision making).
Infoculture Stable beliefs and behavioral patterns revolving around organizational information and IT.
Infopower Infopower, agendas, and flight/fight revolving around organizational information and IT.
Infopower as (a) control over data/IT, (b) meaning management, and (c) expertise-based.
Infostructure Patterns of relationships b/w data segments and in IT arrangements in terms of hierarchy, centralization, dispersion, fragmentation, formalization
Infoprocess Set of information tasks form a start to an end point, which deliver a value for a customer.
Infoeconomics Costs, benefits and other economic aspects related to managing data, knowledge, IT & IS.
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Infoculture Research & Management
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• Study of Utilities, large professional bureaucracy (Travica, 2008, 2010)• IS: Human resource mgt. system (HRMS) using ERP software*• Managers have to manipulate HRMS directly (primary user)
• Theory: Test of infoculture; infoculture influences IS adoption; insight in differentiation of organizational culture
• Management: Enhance mutual communication and education
Infoculture Aspect Finding
Enterprise Level
How data and IT/IS are managed
- Unpolished systems development
Business Departments Level IS Department Level
What is the role of IT/IS Information tool Organizational force
Who we are in relation to IT/IS
Reluctant passenger Driver
When/Why change IS When necessary, novelty must save users’ effort; conservatism
When IT changes, to follow progress
How data and IT/IS are managed
- Electronic vs. paper formats- White-blue collar divide
Electronic standard
Bob Travica / Information View of Organization
Infopolitics Research & Management
• Utilities, HRMS (Travica, 2008, 2009)
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Infopolitics Aspect
Finding
Infopower No gain for line management – access to same records and reports but have to manipulate HRMS directly
Gain for corporate executives due to control over integrated data
Gain for IS managers due to expertise in & control of enterprise software
Gain for clerks having blue collars dependent as before and line managers depending for new skills
Infoagenda Corporate and IS management aligned on changing management processes via HRMS. Disagreements on development priorities.
Line management aligned in opposition to HRMS.
Infopolitical Fight/Flight
Line management fights corporate and IS management.
Bob Travica / Information View of Organization
• Theoretical implications:
• Management implications: – Rethink political benefits for line management
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InfopowerInfopowerIS Planning---------------IS Adoption
IS Planning---------------IS Adoption
InfopoliticalAgenda
InfopoliticalAgenda
Infopolitical Fight-------------------------Infopolitical Flight
Infopolitical Fight-------------------------Infopolitical Flight
Infopolitics Research & Management
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Conclusion and Future Research
• IVO may advance understanding of organization and IS
• Need to advance study of other IVO aspects
• Scale development (infoculture, infopolitics)
• Theory building
C`est tout, gens!
Questions, please…